Movements succeed when they have mass participation—the safer it feels for people to participate, the more likely it is the movement will succeed. Protests are helpful because they show safety in numbers. If the protests aren’t safe, people won’t show up or do other actions (like strike). - ThreadSky

maxberger.bsky.social • 55 days ago

Movements succeed when they have mass participation—the safer it feels for people to participate, the more likely it is the movement will succeed.

Protests are helpful because they show safety in numbers. If the protests aren’t safe, people won’t show up or do other actions (like strike).

Reposted from sarah jeong

Something protesters kept telling me about the big demonstration during the first impeachment vote was that *they were pleased that it was safe.* They talked a lot about specific things they had done or how they had showed up for each other.

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ellen4blm.bsky.social•55 days ago

If 3.5% of the US population peacefully protests, they win

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world

zferrell.bsky.social•55 days ago

I am opposed to violent protests on moral grounds.

But on pragmatic and strategic grounds, they are far less likely to effect the desired results.

And add that the Vietnam era protests, and especially the Civil Rights protests, went on for extended periods of time.

zferrell.bsky.social•55 days ago

I would caution that while things are peaceful now, remember that violence was used against peaceful protesters during the protests against the Vietnam War and against peaceful protesters during the civil rights protesters.

I think Trump, and his militia groups, wants to and will use violence.

adistantdream.bsky.social•55 days ago

The fact that the police came out with violence against peaceful protesters on Vietnam and civil rights is part of the reason they won. The normie American's stomach revolts at the idea. At the point they'll either collapse or switch to guns, and at that point its insurgency rather than protest.

zferrell.bsky.social•55 days ago

We won, sort of.

The war drug on, but on a smaller scale.

Nixon started the draft lottery 1969. It took
the uncertainty out for most of us. That pretty much stopped the big protests.

Also not many people got drafted after the lottery.

The war didn't end until our withdraw years later.

symbo1ics.bsky.social•55 days ago

It has been used continuously, and is still used every day in North America against fossil fuel protesters (and in South America, the situation is even worse for people trying to protect their land against extraction).

In Toronto in 2010, for example, hundreds of protesters were assaulted by police

symbo1ics.bsky.social•55 days ago

1000 were arrested; pretty much every single arrest was thrown out. People were caged without water, medication, or disability aids. 16,000 police were deployed in the city to terrorise protesters, under Stephen Harper.

Nothing incites state violence quicker than protest against war or capitalism.

macwbishop.bsky.social•55 days ago

The first part of this assertion is supported by observable historical data, the second is not. There have been any number of successful protest movements that have gained mass and been effective despite being obviously “unsafe,” even in recent history. It is complex and contextual.

pinkiepower.bsky.social•55 days ago

The correct answer to violent vs nonviolent protest is "both". You need the violence to make The Powers That Be care, and you need the nonviolence to assure everyone that a peaceful solution is possible. Without the former, your movement is ignored. Without the latter, your movement is civil war.

righteoushazard.bsky.social•55 days ago

Mass is EVERYTHING. Literally nothing can defeat mass.

Commitment to nonviolence is the only way to get off the ground and achieve the needed mass. The State may eventually try to take safety away, but we cannot take it away from ourselves by giving "THIS IS WAR" poseurs the benefit of the doubt.

deborahelizabeth.bsky.social•52 days ago

Recommended!

"Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World"

Srdja Popovic, Matthew Miller

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/228578/blueprint-for-revolution-by-srdja-popovic

avitek.bsky.social•55 days ago

photodave219.fightins.online•55 days ago

Agreed. My 71 year old mother wanted to protest. So i took her to a local one.

There's no fucking way I would take her to anything I felt was going to be unsafe or get out of hand. Saw a lot of retirees and families.

Theres all sorts of levels of protest, we're gonna need to all do our part

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